December in the United States is a time of celebration as the height of the holiday season. Christmas is one of the biggest holidays of the year for many Americans, but December carries a different meaning for others. Learn about the different holidays taking place and how you can join in on the celebrations.
Christmas Eve in Japan
Dec. 24
In Japan, unlike most countries, Christmas Eve is the day for celebration. Christmas Eve is a day that is strictly dedicated to couples. Millions of people pour into the streets with their significant others for a romantic date. It is such a big holiday that Valentine’s Day and Christmas Day pale in comparison. There are couples’ events, discounts, clothes and presents everywhere, and most single people opt to stay home to avoid sticking out in the sea of couples.
Hanukkah
Dec. 24-Jan. 1
Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees regained control of it from the Syrian-Greek soldiers. In order to purify the temple, Jewish soldiers lit a day’s worth of oil with hopes that it would last for eight days, which it did. Therefore, eight candles are lit, one on each day of the holiday, to represent the eight days the oil lasted. Families celebrate each candle-lighting with food, songs and spinning the dreidel.
GJF Hands on Chanukah!
Dec. 18, noon
Get in the spirit and learn about the history of Hanukkah with a fun-filled day of activities including story time, music and crafts. // Barnes and Noble Tysons Corner Center: 1961 Chain Bridge Road, McLean
Village at Leesburg Hanukkah Celebration
Dec. 11, 4 p.m.
Join the Leesburg community as they celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah with Rabbi David Greenspoon from Congregation Sha’are Shalom. // Village at Leesburg: 1602 Village Market Blvd. SE, Leesburg
Mawlid (Birth of the Prophet)
Dec. 12 (Sunni celebrations) & 17 (Shiite celebrations)
Held during the third Islamic month, Rabi’ al-awwal, this holiday celebrates the birth of the prophet Muhammad. During this holiday, Muslims from all over the world come together to celebrate his birth with songs, poetry and delicious food, and inexpensive gifts are also shared.
Chinese New Year
Jan. 28-Feb. 11
This 15-day celebration marks the end of the Lunar New Year with parades, lantern festivals and dragon dances. Fireworks are shot off to ward off evil spirits, red envelopes of cash are given to children to suppress evil and keep them healthy, and each year is dedicated to one of the 12 animals that appeared before Buddha on New Year’s Day. 2017 is the Year of the Rooster. The holiday is celebrated all over Asia, with the exception of Japan, and families often gather together for large feasts, games and house cleanings.
10th Annual Chinese New Year Festival
Jan. 14, 10 a.m.
Celebrate the Chinese New Year at Luther Jackson Middle School with cultural performances including the dragon and lion dance, a dragon parade and delicious traditional food. // Luther Jackson Middle School: 3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church
Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Dec. 9-12
Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico, appeared in front of the Native Americans indigenous to Mexico when they were being oppressed by the Spanish. She has become a matriarch to the Mexican people, and they often pray through her to God. Basilica of Our Lady Guadalupe in Mexico, where an enshrined image of her hangs over the altar, has become the most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in the world.
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Dec. 10, 6:45 p.m.
Church of the Nativity: 6400 Nativity Lane, Burke
Our Lady of Guadalupe Rosary and Mass
Dec. 10, 6:30 p.m.
St. John Neumann Catholic Church: 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston
Kwanzaa
Dec. 26-Jan. 1
Kwanzaa first began in the 1960s as a positive and uplifting holiday to counteract the riots taking place in Los Angeles at the time. The celebrations last for seven days, and each day is signified by one candle sitting in a candle holder called a kinara. There are three red candles, three green candles and one black candle, which make up the colors of the black national flag. Gifts are often handmade instead of bought, and traditional African foods and soul foods are served.
Alexandria Black History Museum’s How to Celebrate Kwanzaa Workshop
Dec. 10, 11 a.m.
Learn the history of Kwanzaa from the staff of the Alexandria Black History Museum and Marilyn Patterson, CEO of Joyous Events, through games, recipes, decorating and crafts. // Alexandria Black History Museum: 902 Wythe St., Alexandria
